Jaded
by Darkpaws
Summary: D saves a young girl and helps her learn about herself. A little gory.


This is a fan fiction and does not intend to infringe on the copyrights of   
Hideyuki Kikuchi (Asashi Sonorama), the Vampire Hunter D Production   
Committee, Urban Vision, Jaleco, or anybody else. Valerian Rokes is my   
original character but D, of course, is not. This fanfic is based on the   
original script of the first Vampire Hunter D movie (as translated by Dayton   
Animation Club), the video game, what little I know of the second movie,   
and my own experiences, superstitions, and research.  
  
Darkpaws  
paws@jenovaproject.com  
  
Jaded  
  
Valerian Rokes was born into a rich family. She never wanted for anything,   
never had to fear the monsters, and was protected like a precious commodity.   
She was more than a little spoiled, but was still kindhearted by nature.   
Life for her now was filled with what should have been lazy days but she was   
a nervous wreck. She wouldn't dare tell anyone, she had to seem perfect "for   
the honor of the family" her father would say.   
  
By now the lonely tears were gone but the pain was still there. She had been   
isolated from anyone outside her family and their political allies for most   
of her life, and she could never keep friends for very long when she was   
finally sent away to school. She could still hear the other students   
laughing and making fun of her because she didn't know how to act around   
normal people, and she never got a chance to learn. She was back home now   
and lonelier than ever. Her brief taste of real life had left her hungry for   
more, hungry to learn how to truly live, but her parents had snatched her   
away before she could do anything about it.   
  
Valerian sat on her velvet chair in her decadent bedroom lavished with all   
the finery she had grown up with. She was brushing her long, ashen blond   
hair in front of a gold framed mirror that was on top of a mahogany vanity.   
  
*Today is my Twenty-second birthday and what do I have to show for it? Most   
of the other people at school had been working on farms since they were old   
enough to hold a shovel or drive a mule but I am almost never let out of the   
manor, what kind of life is this?!*  
  
Then she stood up in front of the mirror and examined her frilly white dress   
covered in lace, beadwork, and ribbons. Disgust started to well up inside   
her and in an almost snarling tone she muttered, "This is ridiculous!" She   
spun around and made her way downstairs to the huge kitchen where her mother   
was barking out orders to the kitchen staff.   
  
"No! I won't stand for it, don't you dare tell me pomegranates are out of   
season, just get them for me!" yelled Valerian's mother to the head cook.   
The old woman was the spirit and image of El Greco's satirical paintings of   
royalty, like a twisted and glorified caricature.  
  
Valerian tugged on her mother's sleeve and said, "Is there anything that I   
could do to help?"  
  
Her mother just laughed and told her, "Kitchen work is for low class   
commoners whose lives are going nowhere!" She said this in front of the head   
cook not caring if he or anyone else but Valerian heard her.  
  
That was like a knife in Valerian's heart, and for the first time she gave   
her mother an angry look, but before she could see it she had already looked   
away. She wanted to say something, she wanted to tell her mother how much   
that had hurt her and make her understand, but she was interrupted before   
she could think of what to say. Valerian's mother started to walk away and   
said, "Why don't you go out to the main hall and join the party, you don't   
want to embarrass your father by making a bad impression, think of all the   
trouble we're going to for your birthday party."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
Valerian had been taught well how be diplomatic and fake friendliness to all   
the important people. Someone would say something to her and she would   
repeat the appropriate pre-rehearsed response. It was all a blur to her and   
she didn't even have to think about what she was doing, she had done it so   
many times before. That's why the stranger's voice caught her off guard.  
  
"My, you look out of place." said the strange man.  
  
Startled, she let out a brief gasp and clutched her hands to her chest as   
she locked eyes with the source of the voice. There was something different   
about this man, something that made her feel uneasy. She also felt like   
there was a cold void of which he was the source. He was so pale, like an   
albino, but his hair was black as sackcloth. He wore all black and a leather   
car coat over which rested an long black cape with red lining. He had the   
look in his eyes of a hungry cur. After staring at her for a moment, and   
getting no response, he said, "My name is Lamech." Valerian shuddered at   
his words. His voice was scratchy and backed by an ever present hate of   
nothing in particular. He continued coldly, "Tell me where to find the lord   
of this manor."   
  
"My father..." she said, and she turned to lead this stranger to him, not   
wanting to see this wraith-like figure anymore. He followed her like a   
predator would follow its prey and that's exactly how she felt.  
  
*Surely my father will make this frightening man leave*  
  
Lamech could hear her thoughts, she had the ability to speak with her mind   
but she did not know it yet.  
  
*Don't count on it*  
  
Valerian could just barely hear his ethereal response but she dismissed it as   
if it was just her imagination.  
  
Her father thanked her and she fled to a far corner of the room, thankful to   
be released from Lamech's attention. She started shaking a from her unstable   
nerves and thusly withdrew into the shadows to compose herself. When she had   
calmed herself, out of curiosity, she turned her attention to her father and   
Lamech's conversation. She could not hear a word, she was too far away, but   
she could tell that something was wrong. She had never seen her father so   
frightened, she could see it in his eyes even from this distance and he was   
playing with his mustache nervously. Her mother had joined them and her   
smiling, bemused facade was replaced by a look of worry. "Who IS this man!"   
she thought uneasily.  
  
The group retreated into a spare room they hadn't used in months and came   
back out about thirty minutes later. Lamech headed straight for the door and   
her parents resumed their mingling and socializing. Valerian timidly   
followed her parents' lead and soon fell back into her familiar routine of   
greetings and diplomatic complements.   
  
****************************************************  
  
Later that night, in her room, Valerian gladly shed her luxuriantly   
decorated dress and put on the plainest sleeping gown she owned. She turned  
out the lights and settled under the comforter and sheets on her soft bed   
feeling somewhat safer in her own private territory as Somnus took her   
from waking life.  
  
****************************************************  
  
Suddenly, she was standing outside in the moonless night wearing a plain,   
white dress in the middle of a gypsy-style camp. On one side was a campfire   
circled by mutants, some sitting and some standing, and on the other side of   
her was a house-like covered wagon.   
  
One of the mutants stood up and came towards her. He was dressed in rags and   
his dark hair was in dreadlocks but she could not make out his shadowy face.   
"My, now look what you've done you murderer! Aren't you ashamed!" Valerian   
was scared of him but she mustered up the courage to speak. "What do you   
mean?" she asked in a timid voice. "Just look at yourself!" he shouted. She   
looked down and to her horror her formerly white dress was now soaked with   
fresh blood. She screamed and started to run but the mutant caught her by   
the arm and restrained her. He growlingly whispered in her ear, "Oh, you'll   
have to be punished now, yes!" She tried to struggle free but the mutant   
applied an excruciatingly painful nerve pinch to her back.   
  
Awake now, she writhed in the pain of her back spasm. She had them every now   
and then due to her nervous tenseness. Soon the pain faded and she relaxed   
as much as she could ready to doze off again, especially since she felt so   
weak, as if the energy was being drained out of her body. Then she gasped in   
horror at what she saw before her and an unusually strong and cold hand   
closed around her neck to silence her. It was Lamech. He was looming over   
her, straddling her body. Her heart was beating as fast as a bird's and she   
tried to scream for help but the hand just tightened its grip until she   
could barely breathe. Then Lamech spoke in more of a growl than a voice,   
"You father's vanity shall cost his family dearly. Tell him that his days   
of ruling this land are over, I am his master now!" Then he opened his   
drooling mouth to reveal two gleaming white fangs and turned Valerian's   
head sideways to access her neck. She was in a panic now and was starting to   
hyperventilate and Lamech's iron grip wasn't helping. With a growl he dove   
for her neck and sank his fangs in. The pain was terrible and she couldn't   
bear it on top of all that had already happened, so with a final strained   
gasp she passed out.  
  
****************************************************  
  
The next morning started out in a blur. Her mother was the first to find out   
and shortly thereafter five nurses were flitting about the room. The wound   
was not severe and would have required only minor first aid that only one   
nurse could have done, but that didn't stop Lady Rokes. Valerian was weak   
from the blood loss and wasn't very responsive as her wound was dressed. One   
thing she did notice was the strange pile of herbs on her bedside table. She   
didn't feel like telling anybody about them (her mother had already made her   
feel like the incident last night was her fault) so she swept them into a   
small wooden jewelry box that she never used. Then she returned to bed and   
slept all day, her food was brought to her room by servants. It didn't take   
long for Lord Rokes to find out and soon all of his pages were sent out to   
find the best vampire hunter that money could buy. It took them three days   
to find him.  
  
Those three days felt like an eternity to her. She was even more closely   
guarded than ever and the newly installed security barriers around her door   
and over the windows made her feel like a trapped animal. Her nerves were   
only soothed when the sun set and she could feel safer in the darkness of   
her room. Whenever she was overburdened by prying eyes and the never-ending   
scrutiny she retreated into the relative safety of her darkened room.   
Eventually, the darkness started to feel almost warm (despite whatever   
temperature it may be) and not unlike an old friend that she knew would   
never criticize her. When the lights were out, she was safe.  
  
The morning of the third day, while she was pacing due to lack of anything   
else to do, she was summoned out of her room. She was accompanied by her   
mother and two rough looking guards, one with an eyepatch, who were dressed   
in fine clothing. They looked like two chimps in tuxedos and Valerian   
jokingly wondered to herself if they weren't really mutants.   
She was led downstairs to the waiting room and as soon as she entered she   
was awestruck. There, standing across from the old man that was her father,   
was the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His pallid face was delicate   
and nearly expressionless showing just hint of a sadness that seemed as much   
a part of him as anything else. Underneath a cowboy style hat he had long,   
very light blond hair and hypnotically beautiful blue eyes, just like the   
blue quartz pendant that she had received a few days before her birthday. A   
darker blue pendant was hanging around his neck on a golden chain. His sable   
cape was pulled back to reveal all black clothing with strong muscles   
visible underneath. There was a belt around his waist with a enameled skull   
shaped belt buckle on it and an ornate dagger attached at his side. A long   
sword with matching enameled skulls on each side of the hilt was hung on his   
back. His hands were covered by dark brown gloves and a faded but formerly   
brightly colored scarf around his neck provided a little contrast to the   
otherwise dark apparel.   
  
She was stopped in her tracks by the sight of his strong and lean form. Lady   
Rokes had to lead her by the arm to the exquisite hunter and the closer she   
got to him the stranger she felt, kind of like she had been hanging upside   
down and all the blood had rushed to her head. The petite young lady was   
dwarfed by this incredibly tall man. He looked down at the young lady and   
said, "I am D." He spoke in a monotone voice. Then her mother said, "Go   
ahead now, show him." Valerian pulled her long hair back from the wound and   
the hunter's gloved hand reached out to touch it. She felt her heart flutter   
and her whole body lit up when he delicately touched her and then missed the   
all too brief contact when he withdrew his hand. She stared longingly into   
the hunter's eyes before he turned his gaze back to Lord Rokes. "I will   
visit the castle now, it shouldn't take too long." he said and turned to   
make his way to the door. Lady Rokes puffed up and said bitterly, "I   
certainly hope not!" Valerian's heart dropped like a rock to her feet. *How   
could she talk to him like that! * She was surprised to see absolutely no   
reaction from D, but inwardly he was just as surprised to hear her speak   
with her mind and a little touched that she cared. With the cape now   
shrouding his body he disappeared down the hallway with Valerian watching   
him until she couldn't see his cloaked figure anymore.  
  
******************************************************  
  
D's dark DL4 cyborg horse with its metal parts gleaming in the morning sun   
was waiting for him outside by the water fountain, taking a much needed   
drink from the rippling water. He mounted it and rode through the cast iron   
gate with electronic barriers and down the road to Lamech's castle. After   
some distance his left hand spoke up. "My, that was an interesting young   
lady. Hee, hee! She doesn't seem to know she can speak with her mind and she   
seems to like you, this could get even more interesting." "You know I   
can't," D replied. It snapped back, "Really? You didn't HAVE to touch her   
neck, but you did! Or were you just feeling a little hungry?" D let out a   
disgusted groan and clenched his left hand into a tight fist. After a few   
muffled objections the symbiot was quiet.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Valerian slipped away while the Lord and Lady were giving the guards orders.   
The exit to the manor was not too far away from the waiting room and she was   
there in no time. There was no one else around, just an empty hallway behind   
her. She was a bit disappointed, she was hoping to see the hunter again. She   
then leaned against the wall and stared at the door longingly. *Maybe after   
he finishes this job I can pay him to take me away from here* Then she   
sighed, knowing pretty soon her parents would notice her absence and scold   
her while taking her straight back to her room. Still, she kept her post,   
hoping that he would perhaps forget something and come back through that   
door, seeing her first. Maybe they would talk a little, despite his cold   
appearance he did seem like a good man to her.   
  
Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door and her heart sang. *He DID come   
back after all! * Without hesitation she rushed to the door to unlock it.   
Her hands were shaking but she calmed down enough to undo every lock and   
swung open the door to reveal something very unexpected. It was a werepuma.   
He was standing upright, digitgrade on his hind legs. Retractable claws were   
sheathed on his paw-like hands which were hanging by his sides. The black   
tip of his long tail was twitching in anticipation. His fur was a light   
reddish-brown which lightened to a white underbelly. The backs of his ears   
were black and so were the markings on each side of his short muzzle. His   
cruel looking eyes were yellow.   
  
Valerian screamed and tried to run, but the werepuma was too quick and he   
caught her easily. She screamed for help and struggled but she got no answer.   
The werepuma then unsheathed his claws from his furry fingertips and pressed   
the sharp points against her skin just hard enough to get his point across   
and then said in a strained feline voice, "Stop fighting me." She stopped   
struggling but was shaking from the helplessness she had been feeling not   
only then but all her life. He held her there until the two guards appeared.   
"Help me!" she pleaded to them. The one with an eyepatch spoke to the   
werepuma, "I took care of them, Steelclaw." The one with the eyepatch   
grinned, revealing a set of jagged and sharp looking teeth, and then drooled   
a little. The one standing behind eyepatched mutant (who resembled him   
greatly) let out a roar revealing equally menacing teeth and two long   
tongues! *Oh god, they ARE mutants!* she thought.   
  
Steelclaw slung Valerian over his shoulder and ran out the door with the two   
mutants following closely. They went to the horse stables, which were   
locked, to steal a ride. Steelclaw broke open the door with one powerful   
swipe of his forepaw and the mutants took one cyborg horse each. The   
werepuma then handed Valerian to the eyepatched mutant and dropped down on   
all fours. The mutants rode the backwoods way to Lamech's castle with   
Steelclaw running behind them.  
  
******************************************************  
  
D walked up to the doors of the castle and pushed on them to see if they   
were unlocked. They opened easily. He stepped inside the dark interior and   
pushed the doors closed behind him. The darkness was more his element than   
the harsh sunlight outside and his eyes adjusted quickly. The castle was   
just as old and worn on the inside as it was on the outside. There were   
still woven tapestries hanging on the walls but they were so worn and torn   
that the scenes they once portrayed could no longer be distinguished from   
the dirt and water damage. There was furniture, but most of it was broken   
and in ruins on the floor. D could sense Lamech's foul aura in a distant   
part of the castle so he made his way through the stale smelling halls and   
rooms with his target now in sight.  
  
Eventually he found his way into an unusually new and well lit room. He   
could still smell the wallpaper paste and there was no furniture. This odd   
scene made him nervous and he tried to hurry through the room, hoping what   
he suspected wasn't true for once. He didn't make it to the other door. The   
second he reached the middle of the room, metal doors slid down over both   
exits. There were no windows or air vents so he took off his glove and held   
his left hand up, ready to make his own exit. His left hand scoffed at him   
first, "D, why must you always walk into traps!" then it blasted the wall at   
full force. All that did was burn away the wallpaper to reveal a metal wall.   
"That's a pretty strong alloy, I'd say." said the hand as it was lowered   
back to D's side. Suddenly, a panel in the middle of the ceiling slid back   
and a powerfully bright sun lamp was behind it. D dropped to the ground,   
wailing in pain as his own darkness was overpowered. After some squirming   
and twitching D was quiet and passed out.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Valerian was dropped in front of Lamech's throne and he rose and came   
towards her. She had fallen to her knees and Lamech crouched over her,   
roughly grabbing her downcast face and pointing it at his own. "You're mine   
now!" he growled. "What happened to my parents?!" she pleaded. He sneered at   
her before responding, "They're d  
  
Transfer interrupted!  
  
e was   
silent in shock. The eye patch mutant's response pushed her over the edge,   
"They're dead all right, weren't too tasty though." "YOU BASTARD!!!" she   
screamed as she lunged at Lamech, scratching and slashing at his face with   
her long fingernails. Lamech just laughed and hit her so hard she fell to   
the ground unconscious.  
  
******************************************************  
  
Dreaming once again, she was on a dirt road surrounded by desert that was   
strewn with freshly ruined buildings and chain-link fences. It was like the   
world was after the Final War. It was day, but cloudy. She looked around her   
and saw three newly sired vampires in black trench coats. One was carrying a   
metal pipe and another had a black wooden police club. The last one had a   
crowbar. They all swung at her at once but she ducked and dropped down on   
all fours. She ran this way trying to stand up but couldn't seem to run   
upright. She caught sight of some green foliage in the distance and made her   
way there, leaving the vampires behind. She finally touched soft green grass   
and it felt good under her, especially after that rocky dirt road. She   
pushed through some hedge bushes and came upon a stream. Her thirst got to   
her and she looked down, but her reflection showed something unexpected.   
Staring back at her was the rippling image of a grey animal with dark eyes.   
Her hands had become large paws and instead of gasping from surprise she let   
out a small, short whine. She cocked her head to the side in interest and   
waited for the rippling to stop and the reflection to clear. *A wolf! * she   
thought. Tentatively, she lowered her muzzle to the clear water and lapped   
up the cool liquid. Refreshed, she turned her attention the rather steep   
bank in front of her. She had the urge to climb the bank so she leaped the   
rest of the way across the stream and started up the steep incline. It was   
an easier climb for her as wolf than as a human. She was almost to the top   
when the ground in front of her started to raise up. Out of the dirt rose   
three skeletal piebald horses with their skin draped over them like odd   
brown and white patches of leather. Curiously, she didn't run and wasn't   
afraid. They were equipped with very primitive bridles and bits and were   
decorated with feathers and worn, ragged blankets. They were unshod. All of   
them were rearing up on their hind legs but made no sound. They seemed to be   
trying to tell Valerian something but they were unable to make a sound...  
  
******************************************************  
  
Valerian groggily awoke in a dark room lit only by a soft blue light that   
was near her. She stirred a little and moaned from her head pain. "Are you   
okay?" said a soft, monotone voice. The familiarity of the voice shook her   
to full alertness. She looked up and happily exclaimed, "D!" She sat up too   
quickly and grabbed her head in dizziness and pain. She started to teeter   
over but D caught her by the shoulders. Still holding her head she said,   
"Lamech hit me really hard and I guess I passed out" "Let me see." D said.   
Valerian took her hand off her head and D reached up and parted her hair in   
a few places. She noticed his hands were very cold. "There's some bruising."   
he said. Valerian was feeling a lot better because of all of the attention   
that D was giving her.   
  
She looked around but the light that she noticed was coming from D's pendant   
wasn't all that bright, she couldn't see too far. "Where are we D?" she   
asked. "We're trapped in a armored room. Could I see your eyes for a   
second?" said D. Valerian looked into D's eyes and saw a shining reflection   
in them, like that of a cat or some other nocturnal animal. "D... Your   
eyes?" He looked away, embarrassed, and said, "Didn't your parents tell you   
that I'm a dhampire?" That struck a little fear in her, but she still felt   
attracted to him. Nervously, she put her hand on his shoulder and said, "No,   
but I still trust you." Her unexpected touch made him want to withdraw, he   
wasn't used to human contact like this and he was afraid of where it might   
go. He stood up and faced away from her and then realized he had left her in   
the dark. He took off his pendant and held it out to her. "Here, you could   
probably use this more than I could right now." he said. She took it without   
a word, his withdrawal from her touch had hurt and confused her, but this   
token of caring made her feel a little better.   
  
*He must think I'm afraid of the dark* she thought. "I didn't mean to be   
offensive, being... what I am... allows me to see a lot better in the dark   
than... most people." said D carefully. "I'm sorry, I didn't think that I   
was saying that out loud." she responded. "You didn't." D stated as he   
looked around at the features of the room that were shrouded from Valerian's   
view by the darkness. "What do you mean?" she asked. D looked straight at   
her again and said, "I guess you haven't realized it yet but you have an   
unusual gift. You can speak with your mind. You can also hear other people   
with the same gift as you if you listen. Vampires can do it and some mutants   
and werecreatures can do it. It's a bit unusual for a human to have that   
gift. It would do you good to master it." Valerian blushed and was flattered   
and embarrassed at the same time. "Thank you for telling me." she said. D   
then stood in the middle of the room, took off his glove, and held his left   
hand up. "I'm going to try to blast a way out of here, it may get a little   
bright." he warned her. She turned her head away and D began blasting away   
at the ceiling. It didn't take long for him to break through, but the final   
blast was too strong and it shattered the glass sun lamp. Glass shards flew   
everywhere. D rushed to where Valerian was standing and shielded her and   
himself with his wing-like cape. She was a little aroused at how close D was   
and took the opportunity to put her arms around him and hold him. His body   
was cold compared to hers but since she knew he was a dhampire she wasn't   
scared or surprised by his frigid temperature. D was overcome by the   
loneliness he had been feeling far too long and embraced her tiny warm body   
gently. He rested the side of his head on hers and let himself get lost in   
the moment for a little while.   
  
The sound of the metal doors screeching open interrupted their quiet moment.   
D sensed a strong presence coming from the door he had come in and   
immediately stood and drew his sword. It was Steelclaw, the werepuma.   
Steelclaw leapt at D, but D was too quick and he slashed the werecat's   
stomach, spilling his guts. Valerian shrieked in horror and hid her eyes.   
The cat was down but still alive until D held out his left hand and absorbed   
the rest of his life force. Then D spun around and pushed the girl behind   
him as he sensed the presence of the man himself coming from the opposite   
door. D gave him an intimidating stare and said, "Lamech, I presume." A red   
glow began to shine in his eyes and he snarled, "Right." He then bared his   
fangs and D leapt at Lamech, his sword raised high. Lamech kept dodging as D   
knew he would. D was trying to drive the vampire away from Valerian.   
  
Once they were a few rooms away they stood facing each other. Lamech then   
said, "I was hoping you would quench you thirst a little, dhampire, that's   
why I put that human girl in there with you. I was going to dispose of her   
anyway, she's useless now. I was doing you a favor and this is how you repay   
me? By trying to escape and killing one of my servants!" D replied, "You   
can't bribe me like one of your greedy lackeys, I'm going to send you back   
to the darkness that you came from." "Twins!" Lamech shouted, "You won't let   
him talk about you like that, will you?" The two mutants appeared and   
laughed when the saw D. "This is the guy who killed Steelclaw? This   
sissy-boy?" said the eyepatch mutant. "Don't underestimate him." said   
Lamech. They just laughed again and started circling D, and he stood still,   
waiting for them to make the first move. The one that never spoke went   
first, shooting his long, sharp tongues at D. D dodged and sliced the   
lengthy tongues off close to the mutant's mouth. He had cut the major veins   
and the mutant dropped to his knees, screaming in pain and bleeding   
profusely. The smell of all that blood overcame D and he dropped his sword   
as his fangs grew long and his eyes glowed brightly. He roared as he looked   
at the other mutant and in a flash he had reached the other mutant and had   
sunk his fangs deep into his neck. The mutant screamed in pain and D drank   
his fill and snapped his neck. With both mutants dead D picked his sword up   
again. D was brimming with his true power and strength, a force too   
dangerous to let out too often. Lamech could sense D's incredible power and   
for the first time he feared the hunter. "My god who are you!?" Lamech said   
feebly. D said nothing and as quick as lightning ran his sword through the   
vampire's heart, all the way to the hilt.   
  
******************************************************  
  
Valerian was sitting on the floor, shaking and trying not to look at the   
gory scene of the dead werepuma. D returned to the room, having cleaned   
himself off a bit. He definitely didn't want her seeing him covered in   
blood. His hunger satiated for now he held her again feeling that he was   
safer for now. She felt better now that he was holding her and she stopped   
shaking. After a little while he picked her up and carried her outside.   
  
It was evening now and the sun was starting to set. D set her in front of   
him in the saddle and they rode quietly back to the manor. The closer the   
got, the more they could see a strange glow where the manor was. After a   
while D said to Valerian, "I'm afraid I smell smoke." After a pause Valerian   
said, "The mutants told me that they killed my parents." The rest of the   
ride they were silent. Eventually they came upon the iron gate to the manor.   
It was night now but the sky was bright with fire and the stars were   
obscured by smoke. The entire manor was engulfed in flames. "It's strangely   
beautiful, in a way." she said. Tears came to Valerian's eyes and she   
started shaking again. Thinking she was cold, D wrapped his cape around   
her. *I don't have anywhere to go now* she thought. D thought back to her as   
he directed his horse down the road, *Don't worry, I won't let you be   
alone.* She stopped shaking and leaned back against D. 


End file.
